RCA 6SN7 grey tube greyness or opaqueness

[SayWhat]

Hi grey bottle experts. Is it a concern if a grey bottle pair don’t have the same level of greyness or opaqueness?

 

[SayWhat]

View attachment 162966Hi grey bottle experts. Is it a concern if a grey bottle pair don’t have the same level of greyness or opaqueness?

No comments?

 

[oldvinyl]

Hi grey bottle experts. Is it a concern if a grey bottle pair don’t have the same level of greyness or opaqueness?

Are they from the same manufacturer, same date codes, same tube type? Does the tube work? Or, has the getter turned white and affected the color.

Post a picture of the tubes in question.

Hard to know 80 years after they stopped making them.

Here is my set:






Use the internet to see for yourself:
Google search and use Images tab

lots of pictures of these on eBay

Mine are pretty consistent, but I don't have enough to draw any meaningful conclusions over the millions of this type produced.

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This is from Google AI, so consider the source:

The color of the smoked gray glass in vintage RCA 6SN7 vacuum tubes can vary in density and shade from tube to tube, even among those made in the same era or with the same military designation (VT-231). This variation is due to manufacturing tolerances and the nature of the carbon/graphite "smoking" process used at the time.

• Manufacturing Tolerances: As a vintage product, precise cosmetic consistency was not the primary goal; functionality and electrical specifications were. The carbon coating was applied to prevent electron massing on the glass, a functional requirement, and the exact visual density of this internal coating could differ from one production run or individual tube to the next.
• "Smoked" vs. "Clear": Early versions of the tubes were produced with both "smoked" (gray/black coated) and clear glass, with the former being common in the 1940s and early 1950s. The specific type of coating application contributed to the variations observed today.
• Cosmetic Condition: The current cosmetic appearance can also be affected by age, use, and cleaning. Some tubes may have logos that are light or missing due to wear, which can affect the perceived color of the glass.

Therefore, one should expect some degree of natural variation in the gray glass color of these vintage tubes.